The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (690 page)

A forest near Athens.

(Arcite, Palamon)

Cornets in sundry places. Noise and hallowing, as people a-Maying. Enter Arcite alone.

ARCITE

The Duke has lost Hippolyta; each took

A several land. This is a solemn rite

They owe bloom’d May, and the Athenians pay it

To th’ heart of ceremony. O queen Emilia,

Fresher than May, sweeter

Than her gold buttons on the boughs, or all

Th’ enamell’d knacks o’ th’ mead or garden! Yea

(We challenge too) the bank of any nymph,

That makes the stream seem flowers! Thou, O jewel

O’ th’ wood, o’ th’ world, hast likewise blest a place

With thy sole presence. In thy rumination

That I, poor man, might eftsoons come between

And chop on some cold thought! Thrice-blessed chance,

To drop on such a mistress, expectation

Most guiltless on’t. Tell me, O Lady Fortune

(Next after Emily my sovereign), how far

I may be proud. She takes strong note of me,

Hath made me near her; and this beauteous morn

(The prim’st of all the year) presents me with

A brace of horses; two such steeds might well

Be by a pair of kings back’d, in a field

That their crowns’ titles tried. Alas, alas,

Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner, thou

So little dream’st upon my fortune that

Thou think’st thyself the happier thing to be

So near Emilia. Me thou deem’st at Thebes,

And therein wretched, although free. But if

Thou knew’st my mistress breath’d on me, and that

I ear’d her language, liv’d in her eye, O coz,

What passion would enclose thee!

Enter Palamon, as out of a bush, with his shackles; bends his fist at Arcite.

The Duke has parted from Hippolyta; each one gone

to a different area. This is a solemn duty

they perform for blooming May, and the Athenians

place it at the heart of their ceremony. O Queen Emilia,

fresher than May, sweeter

than the buds on the branches, or all

the painted ornaments of fields and gardens! Yes,

I say you're better than any nymph's riverbank

which makes the stream seem as though it's made of flowers!

You jewel of the woods, of the world, you bless a place in the same way

just by being there. I hope that as you reflect

that a poor man like me could occasionally come to mind

and interrupt your thoughts! It would be greatly blessed chance,

to land on such a mistress, there's no shame in

hoping for it. Tell me, O Lady Fortune

(my Queen apart from Emily), how much

I can be proud. She takes much notice of me,

keeps me near her; and this lovely morning

(the best of the whole year) she gave me

a pair of horses; a pair that might well carry

a pair of Kings, as they battled each other

for their crowns. Alas, alas,

Poor cousin Palamon, poor prisoner, you

never dreamed that I would have such luck,

you think that you are more fortunate, being

so close to Emilia. You think I am at Thebes,

and miserable there, even though free. But if

you knew my mistress was talking to me, and that

 I was listening to her words, being seen by her,

how furious you would be!

PALAMON

Traitor kinsman,

Thou shouldst perceive my passion, if these signs

Of prisonment were off me, and this hand

But owner of a sword! By all oaths in one,

I, and the justice of my love, would make thee

A confess’d traitor! O thou most perfidious

That ever gently look’d! The void’st of honor

That ev’r bore gentle token! Falsest cousin

That ever blood made kin, call’st thou her thine?

I’ll prove it in my shackles, with these hands

Void of appointment, that thou li’st, and art

A very thief in love, a chaffy lord,

Nor worth the name of villain! Had I a sword,

And these house-clogs away—

You treacherous kinsman,

you would feel my anger, if I wasn't wearing

the shackles, and my hand

was holding a sword! I swear by everything

that I, and my true love, would make you

confess your treachery! You are the most unfaithful man

that ever looked kind! The most dishonourable

that ever pretended otherwise! You are the most false

cousin anyone was ever related to, do you say she is yours?

Even with my chains, with these hands

which don't have a sword, I'll prove that you are lying, and are

an absolute thief in love, a worthless lord

who can't even be dignified with the name of the villain! If I had a sword,

and could be rid of these shackles–

ARCITE

Dear cousin Palamon—

Dear cousin Palamon–

PALAMON

Cozener Arcite, give me language such

As thou hast show’d me feat.

You cheating Arcite, speak to me in the same

way that you have treated me.

ARCITE

Not finding in

The circuit of my breast any gross stuff

To form me like your blazon, holds me to

This gentleness of answer: ’tis your passion

That thus mistakes, the which to you being enemy,

Cannot to me be kind. Honor and honesty

I cherish and depend on, howsoev’r

You skip them in me, and with them, fair coz,

I’ll maintain my proceedings. Pray be pleas’d

To show in generous terms your griefs, since that

Your question’s with your equal, who professes

To clear his own way with the mind and sword

Of a true gentleman.

As I can't find

anything within me so bad that makes

me fit your description, I'm obliged

to give you a polite answer: it's your passion

that's making you mistaken, it's an enemy to you,

so can't be kind to me. I love and cherish

honour and honesty, however much you

say I am missing them, and I will carry on

using them, fair cousin. Please show your

grief in well mannered terms, since you

are arguing with your equal, who says

that he makes his own way with the mind and sword

of a true gentleman.

PALAMON

That thou durst, Arcite!

How dare you do this, Arcite!

ARCITE

My coz, my coz, you have been well advertis’d

How much I dare; y’ave seen me use my sword

Against th’ advice of fear. Sure, of another

You would not hear me doubted, but your silence

Should break out, though i’ th’ sanctuary.

My cousin, my cousin, you have seen perfectly well

how much I dare; you have seen me using my sword

without thought of fear. You would never hear

anyone else doubting me, even if you

shouted out your doubts in church.

PALAMON

Sir,

I have seen you move in such a place which well

Might justify your manhood; you were call’d

A good knight and a bold. But the whole week’s not fair

If any day it rain. Their valiant temper

Men lose when they incline to treachery,

And then they fight like compell’d bears, would fly

Were they not tied.

Sir,

I have seen you behave in such a way which

was indeed very manly; you were called

a good knight and a brave one. But you can't say a whole week was fine

if it rained on any day. Men lose their bravery

when they turn to treachery,

and then they fight like bears who are forced to, they would run

if they weren't tied up.

ARCITE

Kinsman, you might as well

Speak this and act it in your glass, as to

His ear which now disdains you.

Kinsman, you might as well

say these words to your mirror, as saying

them to the person who now rejects you.

PALAMON

Come up to me,

Quit me of these cold gyves, give me a sword

Though it be rusty, and the charity

Of one meal lend me; come before me then,

A good sword in thy hand, and do but say

That Emily is thine, I will forgive

The trespass thou hast done me, yea, my life

If then thou carry’t, and brave souls in shades

That have died manly, which will seek of me

Some news from earth, they shall get none but this—

That thou art brave and noble.

Come here,

take these cold chains off me, give me a sword,

even if it's rusty, and be so kind as to let me have

one meal; then come to me,

with a good sword in your hand, and just say

that Emily is yours, I will forgive you

for the wrong you have done me, even for taking my life

if you can manage it, and brave souls in the underworld

that have died manly deaths, when they ask me

for news from Earth all I will tell them is that

you are brave and noble.

ARCITE

Be content,

Again betake you to your hawthorn house.

With counsel of the night, I will be here

With wholesome viands; these impediments

Will I file off; you shall have garments, and

Perfumes to kill the smell o’ th’ prison; after,

When you shall stretch yourself, and say but, “Arcite,

I am in plight,” there shall be at your choice

Both sword and armor.

Calm yourself,

go back into your hawthorn bush.

Under cover of night, I will come here

with good food; I shall file off

your chains; I will bring you clothes, and

perfume is to drown the smell of the prison; after that,

when you have stretched yourself, and told me

that you are feeling better, you shall be provided

with both sword and armour.

PALAMON

O you heavens, dares any

So noble bear a guilty business? None

But only Arcite; therefore none but Arcite

In this kind is so bold.